KSTP’s Tom Hauser reported yesterday that an ad featuring Governor Dayton and former governor Arne Carlson is “misleading right off the bat,” and characterized the anti-ID ad as “speculation” based on “worst-case scenarios and scare tactics.”

Hauser said the ad’s claim that seniors would be kept from voting is “pure speculation,” and it’s “likely not true” that the Voter ID Amendment would make it harder for active duty military personnel to vote. “Military IDs are valid to vote now,” he noted, “and nothing in the amendment says that will change.”

The opposition has been persistent with this demonstrably false claim. Another of the opposition groups ads focuses solely on the claim that military IDs won’t be valid under the Voter ID Amendment. That other ad has landed Our Vote Our Future in the Office of Administrative Hearings for alleged violation of Minnesota’s Fair Campaign Practices law. An administrative law judge found a prima facie violation in the case this week and proceeded to a probable cause hearing. The case about that false political ad is still pending a final determination.

“It’s likely same-day voter registration will continue,” Hauser said in response to charges the Voter ID amendment would end Election Day registration.

QUESTION: What do George Soros’ Open Society Policy Center, America Votes (aka ACORN), MoveOn.org, National Education Association, League of Women Voters, Planned Parenthood, AARP, and major unions like the SEIU all have in common?

It seems these organizations want to preserve Minnesota’s loose election system that gave the nation Obamacare. When Senator Al Franken defeated incumbent Norm Coleman in 2008 by just 312 votes, it gave President Obama the critical 60th vote he needed to pass Obamacare.

Our subsequent 4-year investigation into the 2008 election uncovered 1,100 individuals who had illegally voted and another 6,000 individuals who could not be found after Election Day. Minnesota now has the dubious distinction of having the most voter fraud convictions from a single election than any other state in the past 50 years!

Our opponents are smart – they are treating Minnesota’s Voter ID campaign as a national referendum. They want to defeat the Voter ID Amendment so as to discourage other states from considering similar measures.

Recent campaign finance reports show that our opponents are outraising us by over 2-to-1, and the vast majority of their money has come from outside the state of Minnesota! That’s why we URGENTLY need your help! Polls have narrowed and there’s a chance we may lose if we don’t immediately raise another $50,000.

PLEASE – don’t allow these leftist groups to defeat Minnesota’s Voter ID Amendment with their campaign of lies and deception. Help us communicate the truth about Voter ID by making a generous donation NOW.

This is our last chance to ensure this measure passes. Thanks in advance for your help.

Governors Arne Carlson and Mark Dayton team-up in what is likely the last drivel to be released by the election integrity opponents. How these men can dishonor their legacies by participating in such a charade is beyond us. We debunk all of the myths mentioned in this advertisement, along with many more, on our Myths vs. Facts page.

Please help us counter the lies by making a donation NOW – time is running out.

St. Paul – ProtectMyVote.com today released a new TV advertisement titled, “One Vote.” The ad features a montage of voters in different settings, including Captain Robert McWhite, the WWII veteran featured in the group’s previous two TV ads. They begin by saying, “We each get one. One vote, one chance to make our voices heard. But when someone cheats, they cheat you out of your right to be heard. Showing photo ID is a reasonable way to protect your right that makes it easy to vote, but hard to cheat.” The ad cuts from voter to voter, each delivering a segment of the overall message.

St. Paul – “Our Vote Our Future” yesterday conducted a press conference in which they announced the launch of a new television commercial entitled “Alex.” Alex is presented as a military veteran who claims that “military IDs aren’t valid IDs” under the proposed Minnesota Voter ID Amendment. “Our Vote Our Future” represents a coalition of organizations who oppose the Voter ID Amendment.

“It’s a blatant lie and they know it,” said Dan McGrath, Chairman of ProtectMyVote.com. “The Voter ID Amendment was carefully crafted to accommodate a wide variety of government-issued identifications, including military IDs.”

The exact language of the Voter ID Amendment states “All voters voting in person must present valid government-issued photographic identification before receiving a ballot.”

“This language would allow for state-issued driver’s licenses, tribal ids, passports, military ids, as well as any other type of government issued identification,” said McGrath.

Military ID is currently accepted for voting purposes under state statutes and election administration rules. Since military ID is both government-issued and photographic, the amendment can not invalidate their use.

“Our opponents have resorted to a campaign of lies and deception because they can’t make their case to Minnesota voters based upon the real facts.”

McGrath stated that his organization is filing a complaint against “Our Vote Our Future” for criminal dissemination of false political advertising. ProtectMyVote.com also sent a letter to major Minnesota media outlets informing them that they may be violating the law if they knowingly air a false political ad.

“Minnesota Statute 211B.06 clearly states that it is a gross misdemeanor to participate in the preparation, dissemination or broadcast of paid political advertising that is false,” said McGrath. “Everyone is entitled to their opinions on the Voter ID amendment, but they are not entitled to lie to the voters of Minnesota in an attempt to advance their unpopular agenda.”

Elderly voter featured in ad able to obtain ID without a birth certificate

St. Paul – Christeen Stone, a 91-year old activist with ties to liberal political causes, is featured in an advertisement being aired by “Our Vote Our Future.” In the ad, Stone states, “This amendment will disenfranchise a lot of people. This amendment has no exceptions for people like me.”

“What exceptions does she need?” wonders ProtectMyVote.com chairman Dan McGrath. “She’s already all set to vote if the Voter ID amendment passes.”

“The opposition campaign is proving our case for us,” said McGrath. “They’d have us believe that elderly people who might not have easy access to a birth certificate won’t be able to obtain a government-issued photo ID for voting. As we’ve said all along, that’s nonsense and our opponents have proven our point for us.”

The Driver and Vehicle Services division generally does require a primary document (such as a birth certificate) and secondary document to demonstrate an applicant’s identity when issuing photo ID. However, there exists a variance process in current law for people who can’t meet those requirements, or for whom it would be a hardship to obtain the necessary documents.

“No exceptions? There’s already an exception in current state law,” McGrath said. “Provisional ballots provide another catch-all exception for anyone who lacks proper ID on Election Day. The entire opposition campaign is based on nonsense.”